The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum, a member of the Hamamelidaceae family, hereinafter referred to by its cultivar name ‘PIILC-I’. This cultivar is grown primarily as an ornamental for landscape use and for use as a potted plant.
The cultivar originated from an open-pollination of Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum ‘GriffCRL’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,615) in Watkinsville, Ga. in 2008, and was selected from the progeny seedlings of this cross by continued evaluation for growth habit and improved foliage characteristics. The cultivar ‘PIILC-I’ originated and was discovered in a cultivated environment in an outdoor nursery in Watkinsville, Ga.
‘PIILC-I’ has been asexually reproduced by softwood cuttings since 2009 in Watkinsville, Ga. The characteristics of the cultivar have been stable and reproduced true to type in successive vegetative generations.